''Banco'' is a 1972 autobiography by
Henri Charrière
Henri Charrière (; 16 November 1906 – 29 July 1973) was a French writer, convicted in 1931 as a murderer by the French courts and pardoned in 1970. He wrote the novel '' Papillon'', a memoir of his incarceration in and escape from a pena ...
, it is a sequel to his previous novel ''
Papillon''. It documents Charrière's life in
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, where he arrived after his escape from the
penal colony
A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer to ...
on
Devil's Island.
Synopsis
Continuing on from ''Papillon'', ''Banco'' relates Henri's life in Venezuela attempting to raise funds to seek revenge for his false imprisonment and to see his father. After many failed enterprises, including diamond mining, a bank robbery and a jewellery heist, he found success in Venezuela running various restaurants. The book provides more detail about the crime he was falsely accused and convicted of committing in France, his arrest, trial and views on French justice. Towards the end of the book, he returns to France as a free man.
Adaptations
* ''
Papillon'' (2017), film directed by
Michael Noer, based on novels ''
Papillon'' and ''Banco''
External links
*
1972 French novels
French autobiographical novels
Novels set in Venezuela
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